Coastal wetland vegetation along the Great Lakes differs strongly with latitude, but most studies of Great Lakes wetland condition have attempted to exclude the effect of latitude to discern anthropogenic effects on condition. This approach provides a means to identify wetlands worthy of preservation, to establish vegetation targets for wetland restoration, and to forecast changes in floristic quality associated with future climate change.
The invasion and expansion of the non-native Phragmites australis in Great Lakes coastal wetlands is of increasing concern. Monitoring coastal wetlands where water level has dropped and controlling Phragmites at early stages of invasion are essential for maintaining healthy Great Lakes coastal wetlands of high species diversity and wildlife habitat. This becomes important as water levels in the Great Lakes have reached extreme lows and are expected to decline with future climate change.
Assessment of vegetation is an important part of evaluating wetland condition, but it is complicated by the variety of plant communities that are naturally present in freshwater wetlands. Our findings provide a means of using vegetation to evaluate a range of wetland condition across a broad and diverse geographic region.
Great Lakes coastal wetlands are subject to water level fluctuations that promote the maintenance of coastal wetlands. Point au Sauble, a Green Bay coastal wetland, was an open water lagoon as of 1999, but became entirely vegetated as Lake Michigan …
Plant taxa identified in 90 U.S. Great Lakes coastal emergent wetlands were evaluated as indicators of physical environment. A fuller understanding of how the physical environment influences plant species distribution will improve our ability to detect the response of wetland vegetation to anthropogenic activities.